Italian on your mind? Try these dishes

A lot of us believe that Pizza and Pasta are basically what Italian cuisine is all about, and while Pizza and Pasta’s have made Italian food everyone’s go to comfort food; Italian food is way more vast than mainstream food joints let on. Fast food joints only serve pizzas, pastas and the occasional garlic bread; but even those reek of substandard quality and half- hearted efforts. If your are looking to experience a gastronomic experience that takes you straight to Sicily, then you must try these dishes:

Bruschetta
This appetizer is a health freaks delight for two reasons. First, it is extremely delicious and second it goes easy on the calories. A bruschetta is a finer variant of garlic bread in layman analogy. Bread drizzled with olive oil and baked, then topped with fresh veggies, herbs and/or a dash of cheese. It indeed is a delightful way to begin your meal.

Antipasto
Another starter, the Antipasto is vibrant and filling enough to be your meal itself. Antipasto can be termed as a platter for easier understanding. With an array of meats, cheese and breads along with dips –this dish pairs unsurprisingly well with wine.

Risotto
I personally feel this is the most underrated dish on the Italian menu. Risotto is a rice dish made with wine, and slowly cooked to extract starch out of the rice until it becomes creamy. A dish that sounds simple, hardly any best restaurants in Mumbai or other parts of India get it right. If you want to try a perfect risotto, I recommend you visit places like Pizza Express. Risotto usually goes well with additions like Portobello or porcini mushrooms, for hey add a layer of flavor to the dish.

Everything pesto
If you have been an Italian cuisine amateur, then your understanding of sauces is probably categorized under ‘white sauce’ and ‘red sauce’. You must know that these sauces come in a lot of variant ingredients from arrabiata to Bolognese to béchamel, but fast food joints often omit the most fragrant of them all; Pesto. Made from fresh Genovese basil leaves, rich Parmesan cheese, garlic and pine nuts/almonds; pesto has a delicious flavor and can be used in anything Italian! Pizza, dip, a pasta sauce; pesto befriends all.

Tiramisu
Italy’s gift to the world, this layered dessert with mascarpone cheese, bread, coffee and a little bit of liquor takes me to haven! You must try Tiramisu at the end of your meal.

Bar Nights going slow? Here is what can be done!

If you are one of the fancy bars or bars and grills owners who have a shop set up in the city’s high profile high on chic areas, you know it quite well how some days, mostly weekdays, seem to drag themselves lethargically, purposelessly. Honestly, this is not a blog to say it won’t happen but a blog to say there are things to spice things up because honestly it is pretty unavoidable.

To keep the party going, you can throw promotional giveaway for grabs or offer meal deals to get every one out and going. While it is only bars and grills that go for such schemes, it is not unimaginable for a restaurant to opt for such deals too.

Here are the bars night ideas that can make a change:
What is your one major strength you feel you can bank upon? One thing bars are usually known for is the sports events they hosted, no conditions applied. Building upon this, you can host a number of events based on themes that appeal to your audience. People may get used to it and turn it into a weekly outing.

Few examples of these:
Trivia Night: Pizza and pitcher of beer can set the mood for any challenge. If you don’t serve food, try roping in some great Italian restaurant. In Mumbai, there is absolutely no dearth. Fans, especially college kids love some friendly competition amongst peers. You can either organize it yourself or hire someone to come up with questions and set up the show. This will bring people together but make sure to run a trial once and twice in order to find the perfect spot of sweet difficulty because while it is true people want to be challenged; no one enjoys a very hard game.

Board Game Night: game lovers would love this one too and who knows if the fan club for these may end up having sports enthusiasts too. While it would be niche, broadening the clientele won’t be such a thing. These are usually more hands off than the other ones. The best part about organizing such a night is that most people will bring their own boards and friends along. So, you can serve them and relax and they for their turn can stay focused on their competition.

The aim should be to include pizza and to pair it with the right beer. Best pizza in Mumbai can be had at Italian restaurants like Pizza Express. What about liquor? Well, that never is an issue!